Sunday, July 30, 2017

Hello! And welcome to Sunday's edition of Christmas in July! Nothing really special about Sundays around here, it's just a nice long weekend day where I can spend some time and record lots of new music for you. I've got more recorded now than I've ever had for Christmas in July, so I'm going to have to spill over into August a bit. We'll see how long it goes. But for today, let's see what's in the share pile.

1. The Bells Of St. Mary's by Johnny Duffy At The Mighty Columbia Square Wurlitzer from I Hear A Rhapsody (Liberty LST-7028, Stereo, 1955). I know this didn't come out in stereo in 1955, but there's a possibility that it was recorded that way, then released on record in stereo some time later. I couldn't find a later release date, so I just stayed with the 1955. Note that this is a different LP from the other Johnny Duffy stuff I've shared.

2. The Friendly Beasts by Marilyn Powell from Holiday Songs (Bowmar B 2055 168, Stereo, 1966). This is good stuff.

3. We Need A Little Christmas (From The Broadway Musical Production "Mame") by Julius La Rosa With The Chorailers, Arranged & Produced By Don Costa from the LP You're Gonna Hear From Me (MGM E4398, Mono, 1966). Love it when I find a true Christmas song in the middle of an otherwise normal LP. This one shows up a lot, I guess because of it's Broadway heritage.

4. Skaters' Waltz by The 110 Strings Orchestra from Waltz Favorites (Mayfair 9657S (Yellow Vinyl), Stereo). Not sure when this one came out. And pretty much every release on this label came on colored vinyl, usually yellow. However, as time went on, they mixed more and more dark vinyl into the mix, and the yellow became muddier and muddier. Still looks cool, though.

5. Three Little Drummers From Africa by Friends Of Fiddler's Green (Bob & Evelyne Beers, Martha & Eric Nagler And The Boyer Family) from the confusing LP The Seasons Of Peace-A Great Family Sings (Biograph BLP-12033, Stereo, 1971). This song was also released as a single from The Beers family Christmas LP on Columbia.

6. The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas by Allan Sherman from Best Of Allan Sherman (Rhino RNLP 005, Stereo, 1979). Unfortunately, this is the edited version. You aren't allowed to hear the word naked used to describe the lady with a clock in her stomach. You need to dig up the single version if you want to hear this one unexpurgated, though I suppose it's available on his Rhino box set.

7. Winter World Of Love by Bing Bang And The Entertainers from Studio Session (A.B.A. Records PRS-2014, Stereo). Listen to that accent, will you!

8. Holiday For Strings by The Stanley-Johnson Orchestra Featuring The Duo Harps Of Dorothy Remsen And Catherine Johnk from Have Harp Can't Travel (Liberty LST 7118, Stereo, 1959). I know Holiday For Strings isn't really a holiday song, but I can't resist sometimes. This one seems to involve a train somehow, in addition to the harps.

9. Mary Had A Baby by Florida All-State High School Chorus-Mr. Vito Mason, Conductor, from the double LP Twenty-Second Annual Florida Music Educators Association Festival Concert (Century 2xLP 23205 (Curtis Hixon Hall, January 8, 1966, Tampa, Florida), Stereo, 1966). I was surprised to see that Frederick Fennel was listed as one of the directors on this set, though he had nothing to do with anything I recorded. He had to be pretty big at the time, nice to see him taking part in the local school music scene.

10. Medley: Say It Isn't So; I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm; Isn't This A Lovely Day (To Be Caught In The Rain) by The Melachrino Strings And Orchestra from The Ballads Of Irving Berlin (RCA Victor LSP-2817, Stereo, 1964). More medleys of Irving Berlin.

11. Ave Maria (Schubert) by The Robert Shaw Chorale With Symphony Orchestra And Organ-Organist: Clyde Holloway from the LP Songs Of Faith And Inspiration (RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2760, Stereo, 1964). Great version.

12. It's A Holiday by Kay Lande, Alan Cole And The Carillon Singers-Music Direction By Jim Timmens from Songs About: The Weather, The Four Seasons, What Time Is It?, The Days Of The Week, Holidays (Children's Records Of America CRA 20433, Stereo, 1974). Music for the kiddos.

13. My Favorite Things by Greg Hatza With Grady Tate And Eric Gale, another swinging organ version from ORGANized Jazz (Coral CRL 757495, Stereo, 1968). Lots and lots of versions of this song out there.

14. Waltz Of The Flowers (From "Nutcracker Suite") by Alfred Newman Conducts The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra from Music For Orchestra-Invitation To The Ballet (Mercury MG 20036, Mono, 1955). Yes, we're into the Nutcracker section now.

16. Winter: Introduction, The Frost, The Ice, The Hail, The Snow by The French National Symphony Orchestra Conducted By Roger Désormière from the album Alexander Glazounov-Ballet Suite From The Seasons Opus 67 (Capitol Classics P8157, Mono, 1952). Something for the ballet fans that's not by Tchaikovsky.

17. Musical Sleigh-Ride (Schlittenfahrt) by Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, Heilbronn-Jörg Faerber, Conductor, from Humour In Music-18th Century Style (Turnabout (Vox) TV 34134S, Stereo, 1967). A selection from Mozart, though not Wolfgang. This one is by Leopold Mozart.

18. White Snow, Bright Snow by Owen Jordan from White Snow, Bright Snow/The Story About Ping/Madeline's Rescue/The Biggest Bear (Picture Book Parade By Weston Woods Studios PBP-2004, Mono, 1961). And now we head off into the spoken word section of the evening. Also the really long track section.

19. The Birth Of Christ by Leif Erickson, Narrator, With Dramatic Cast, one whole side from The Bible Stories-Volume VII (Library Of Sound Education CR-207, Mono, 1960). I had to hunt through a lot of volumes from this series before I finally found the Christmas one. Hope you appreciate that.

20. The Nutcracker Suite by Bob Keeshan Featuring Full Orchestra And The Sandpiper Chorus from the LP A Child's Introduction To The Nutcracker Suite (Wonderland LP 143, Mono, 1979). This think this is a reissue of a 1958 original that I've never seen. And this track goes into both the Nutcracker and spoken word section of tonight's presentation.

That's it for tonight. I can't type for some reason, I hope I corrected all the typos, but I really doubt it. Come back tomorrow!

Ernie, you know I usually comment in a more timely manner. But, with moving and other stuff happening this summer, I only found time now to go back through the past days and month of postings. Rather than comment on each day all in the same day, I'm choosing a couple that are meaningful to me, or have such a quantity that it can't be ignored. This post has both. Any chgance of getting the wonderful Bob Keeshan Nutcracker heard again and again is a wonderful day for me. Thank you for all your dedication to all you do, and for making it fun to read your comments as well. End of essay, and now time to jam now that both parts are here. Thank you!

Got Vinyl?

Ernie's Christmas record want list. There might be something in that stack of Christmas records you want to throw out that I need. Actually, there's a lot more that I need that I don't know about, so send 'em all to me (especially singles)! (Revised 07 December 2017)